Okami wa Okami
by Trikster
Summary: If a man can be bought with money, can the Mibu's wolf be bought with his loved ones? A Yakuza gang makes an attempt on Tokio's life, and suddenly Saitou is brought into something dark brewing in Tokyo...
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki-san, and whatever other companies bought the damn thing.  ^_^  Da rou, Battousai?

The sun was setting over the Fujita residence, painting red and gold streaks across a faded blue sky.  The spectacle of the evening radiance was lost on a small figure within the house, though she could see it all, she felt no joy at such a sight.

"Don't cry now, Tokio," she reprimanded herself.  "Be strong!"  Fujita Tokio stood up from the floor and dusted off her kimono, more an act of resolution then an attempt to tidy her clothes.  She pushed back her long black hair and brushed away the tears that had slowly been gathering in her light brown eyes for several weeks.  Dwindling sunlight fell across her path as she crossed from the bedroom into the kitchen, needing an outlet for her frustration and impatience.  

Hajime had been gone for two months now, one of his longest trips to Osaka with the secret police.  Every day she prayed to all the gods and goddesses she could think of, even appealing to some of the Chinese deities for added luck.  Tokio couldn't understand why his absence was bothering her so much; he had been gone for weeks on end before, but there was an added sense of loneliness in the house.  Perhaps because the maid had gone home for the day.

Silly thing really, to have hired a maid, Tokio thought to herself.  Hajime had said it would help her take care of things while he was gone in the big empty house.  She didn't need help; she would rather have her husband back.

But she had known.  She had known that he would be gone often with the Shinsengumi.  She had known that he would be gone often with the police force.  All this she knew, yet she missed him all the more for knowing that it was her fault she was lonely.  She had agreed to wait for him when he had warned her of the implications of being a Shinsengumi wife.  Now, after a shaky peace had been restored and the time of the samurai was past, Tokio had thought she'd see Hajime a little more often.

"It's no use moping, it won't bring him back any quicker," she spoke aloud to the silent house.  Eiji was off somewhere, but would probably return before the sun had completely set.  If not, she didn't worry about his safety, he knew how to take care of himself and what to do should he find trouble.  This left her with not much to do but clean and cook.  The house was fastidiously tidy already, so the only thing she could do now was put herself to work in the kitchen.

Tokio had just finished cooking a pot of rice when she heard a noise from the front of the house.

"Oi, Okami-san, you home?"  A loud male voice rang out and footsteps resounded on the floor.  Tokio set the pot aside and walked to the front door to see who it was.  

A man stood in the doorway, with spiky brown hair and a red bandana around his forehead.  Tokio bowed from the waist and looked up at his tall figure.

"May I help you?" she asked politely.

The man looked down and scratched his unruly hair.  "I was looking for Saitou Hajime," he explained.  "Or Fujita Goro, I guess."

"I'm very sorry, but Hajime isn't here right now.  Should I tell him he had a visitor?"

"Tell him Sagara Sanosuke was here to see him, it's very important that I talk to him."  He looked anxious, his eyes searching around the room as if expecting to see Saitou hiding behind a corner.

Sanosuke?  So this was him?  Tokio nodded, bowing once more.  "He's been away in Osaka for two months, now, Sagara-san.  I expect him home sometime this week."

"Saa, two months?  Then I might as well tell you the news."

"What news?" she inquired.

"A local Yakuza gang has been causing trouble in Tokyo, and several people have already been murdered.  Most of the police force is busy with other matters, and they've said it's not a major problem.  Kenshin was hoping-

"Himura Battousai?" she interrupted quietly.

"Just Himura now.  He was hoping Saitou would be able to help with the Yakuza, since they're getting closer to our town and growing in numbers."

Tokio was silent, a war waging inside of her between her sympathy for the victims and her desire to keep Saitou home.  After a few moments pause, she nodded her head.  "When Hajime returns, I'll make sure to tell him."

Sanosuke smiled and bowed.  "Arigatou."

"You must have come a long way, and I'm sorry Hajime's not home now.  Are you hungry?  I have dinner almost finished," she offered with a motion of her hand to the kitchen.  Sano looked out the door, then back in the direction of Tokio's hand.  Hunger and weariness seemed to give in; he agreed and followed the shorter woman to the kitchen.

They sat down at the low table while Sanosuke told her news from the Himura residence.  Kenshin had apparently taken a wife, Kamiya Kaoru, and they lived at the Kamiya dojo in Tokyo still.  Tokio stayed silent for most of the meal, content just to listen to the younger man's chatter.  After they had finished, Tokio brought out bean mochi and refilled his cup with hot tea.

"So what is Saitou doing in Osaka?"

"What is an ahou like you doing with my wife?"  

Sanosuke jumped in his seat, the teacup falling to the floor and shattering.  Quietly, Tokio bent down to pick up the pieces while Sano stood up quickly and faced the Mibu no okami.

"Y-your wife??" 

Saitou Hajime snorted.  "Who did you think she was, ahou, my sister?  What do you want, and why are you here?"  

While Tokio cleared away Sanosuke's old dishes and set out new ones for Saitou, the two men discussed what had been going on in Tokyo while the secret police were away.  Saitou lit a cigarette and said nothing in response to Sano's explanation and the request for assistance from Himura.

"Well?  Will you help?"

"How many Yakuza are active in this group?"

"About 33 that we know of.  Maybe more?  They call themselves the Ichihashinsei."

Saitou looked at his cigarette thoughtfully.  "So many for a Yakuza gang.  And 3 people were murdered?"

"11 injured in a house fire, 3 stabbed with swords."

"What kind of swords?"

Sano shrugged.  "Kenshin can tell you, I didn't see any of the action, or the bodies afterwards.  Does this mean you'll help?"

"Hn.  I can only assign a small squad to this, but it'll be enough for 33 Yakuza if you can't keep things under control in your area."

"Hai.  Kenshin would say thank you if he were here, but I'll thank your wife instead for the dinner."  Tokio bowed with a tray of soba in her hands, smiling as she showed him out the door.  

"Oyasumi, Okami-san!"  Sanosuke called once he was out of the house.  Saitou rolled his eyes and extinguished his cigarette.  Tokio came and sat in front of him, her hands wrapped around a teacup.  She was not drinking, nor was she looking up.

"Tokio?"

"It's good to have you home, Hajime."

He nodded and set his bowl down.  "It was chaos in Osaka."

"Were you injured?"

"Not badly."  Her eyes lifted to meet his; silently she stood up and cleared away the remaining dishes.  He caught her wrist as she was making her way back to the kitchen.  "You don't want me to help with the Yakuza."  It was a statement, not a question.

She kneeled down in front of him.  "I never said that.  I think you should help so that no more lives are wasted."

"But you'd rather someone else went."

Tokio said nothing.  Saitou cupped the side of her face with his rough hand and forced her head up gently to look at him.  "Were things alright at home?"

"Hai."  _I missed you…_she longed to say.  But she didn't need to.  He could read it in her eyes.  He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers, about to kiss her when a youthful voice interrupted the rare moment of intimacy.

"Tadaimaaaaa!"  Eiji burst into the kitchen with dirt on his face.  "Tokio-san, I-

"Gaki, go wash your face before you come running in here," Saitou said curtly.

"Saitou-san, this is why smoking is bad for you!  It makes you mean and ugly!"  

"Eiji-kun, go wash up if you want something to eat," Tokio instructed him, hiding a smile behind her hand.  Saitou turned to her with his eyebrow raised.

"Something amuses you?"

"No, Hajime, nothing at all…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A few hours later, Eiji was in the courtyard, shinai in hand as he faced Saitou and his katana.

"You must be quicker on your diagonal strike if you want to master the Gatotsu," Saitou informed the sweating youth.  "Times may never call for it again, but it is useful in a fight, especially if no one else has passed on the Shinsengumi style."

Eiji sighed and raised his blade once more.  He had just completed the first part of the downward sweep when a huge explosion rocked the house.  Saitou looked up to see the building engulfed in flames.

"Eiji!  Stay outside!"

"But Tokio-san-

"STAY OUTSIDE!" he snapped harshly.  He sped past the boy and into the burning house, crouching low to avoid a roof beam that had fallen across the doorway.  

"Tokio!" he yelled, waiting for an answer.  Coughing emitted from the room to his left, shoving aside a bookcase, he entered the room and spotted his wife lying on the floor, having been knocked off her feet when the explosion occurred.  Seeing Saitou in the doorway, she stood up and got out of the room just as another support beam collapsed.  Saitou held her face to his jacket and they both ran out of the house, into the cool night air where Eiji was waiting.

"Is she okay?" he asked, his solemn eyes wide.  Saitou nodded and set her on the ground, gold eyes blazing like the fire that consumed the Fujita residence.  Someone had deliberately firebombed his house, with his wife still inside.  Leaving Tokio to sit on the stone pavement with Eiji, he leapt onto a portion of the roof that was still intact, making his way to the front of the house.  Pieces of burning debris had fallen to the ground outside, and now people were gathering in the street to watch as his home joined the debris.  Saitou glared at them angrily and ignored their questions.  He found what he was looking for on the front gate; a note buried into the wood by a shuriken.  He snatched it off and returned to the courtyard to lead Tokio and Eiji out into the street.  

"Hajime?"  Tokio looked at him as if waiting for an order.  Eiji was silent as he watched another one of his homes being destroyed.  Saitou showed her the note and watched as her red-rimmed brown eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and fear.

_"A wolf can be bought with his loved ones, but no one owns the Ichihashinsei."_

To be continued…

A/N:  ^^ Hi minna, it's Trikster again.  This is my latest fic, a type of companion fic to "Iron Hearts…"  I've always wanted to write a Saitou/Tokio fic, so here's the first chapter of many (hopefully) more to come.  It won't be as short as the A/M fic was, and hopefully my writing has improved enough so that it won't end as abruptly as my WK ficlet.  (Rhymes with Chiclet.  ^_^)

Please remember to review, whether you liked the story or not!  And have a good day!


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki and Jump comics.  ^^  But this fic belongs to meeee!

Kenshin: No more White Russians for you, de gozaru yo.

I had no such thing.

Kenshin: Yes you did, you drank half of your brother's!

Nonsense, that was milk!

Saitou: Ahou.

It was milk, I tell you!  Milk!  

Kenshin: Enjoy the fic, de gozaru yo.

-saitou carries away an inebriated trikster-

Tokio wiped sweat from her forehead and blinked smoky eyes in the morning heat.  Her kimono was sooty, her ribs ached terribly, and her hair hung limply down her back, but she didn't complain.  Eiji was tired, and Hajime was silent, his mouth drawn together in a tight line.  No, complaining would just make things worse.

            They had been walking to the Himura residence since dawn, for their house was now a pile of charred wood and ashes.  Hunger combined with exhaustion made Tokio unsteady on her feet, a man brushed past her roughly and she stumbled to the ground on her hands and knees.  Saitou's hand was on his sword hilt, but Tokio shook her head and Eiji helped her to stand upright.  When Saitou's back was turned, she sighed and rubbed her protesting sides.

            "We're almost there," he said abruptly.  Tokio merely nodded, but Eiji threw up his arms and began running ahead.

            "Why couldn't we have hired a carrrriiiaggge???" he called as he ran past the pair.

            "Gaki, get back here!"  Tokio placed a hand on Saitou's arm.

            "Let him run, Hajime.  It's been a rough night."  Saitou glared at the boy's retreating figure for several moments before looking down at his wife.  His expression softened, and they continued walking towards the Kamiya dojo, which was now in sight.

            "Saitou!  What a surprise," a pleasant voice greeted them from the front gate.  Tokio wondered how this short, redhaired man had known of their arrival, but then she noticed a panting Eiji standing next to him.  A pretty girl with blue-black hair and a flowered kimono came out from the dojo and looked at Saitou with wide eyes.

            "Saitou, what brings you here?"

            "We didn't come for a social call, tanuki."

            The redheaded man smiled and gently restrained the girl before she could engage in a verbal sparring match and gestured for them to enter.  "Kaoru, will you please show Eiji-kun to the guest room?"

            "Hai, Kenshin."  Kaoru walked through another room with Eiji following behind, giving Saitou one last suspicious glance.  Tokio bowed to Himura Kenshin, for that's who he surely was, meaning the young girl inside was his wife, Kamiya Kaoru.  Himura Kaoru?  The heat was getting to her; when she straightened from the bow, her head swam and her vision blurred.  She placed a hand to her brow and stopped midstep.  Kenshin looked at her with concern.

            "Saitou, is this your wife?"

            "Hai, Tokio."

            Kenshin returned her bow, and for the first time she noticed his cross-shaped scar.  The infamous Battousai was this smiling, softspoken man?

            "Tokio-san, are you feeling alright?  Perhaps you should see Megumi-dono while I speak with your husband."  Tokio nodded gratefully and followed Kenshin to the main room, where an elegant woman was arguing with a bandaged Sanosuke.

            "Next time, watch where you're going before you wander around drunk!"

            "Itai!!  Go easy, kitsune onna!"

            "Megumi-dono," Kenshin intervened, "could you please check on Tokio-san before you return to the clinic?"

            The bickering duo looked up in unison at the three standing in the doorway.

            "Saitou?!  What the hell happened to you?  You look like shit!"

            "Our house was firebombed, ahou.  What's your excuse?"

            Sanosuke glared at a smirking Saitou.  "I ran into some trouble," was all he'd say before stomping out of the room with a fishbone hanging from his mouth.

            "Firebombed?"  Kenshin's brow was drawn together in confusion.

            "Oh, you poor thing, and you walked all the way here?"  Megumi brought Tokio down to a sitting position and began wiping her grimy face with a cloth.  

            A boy who looked to be Eiji's height, with similar spiky black hair, walked in through the back door.  "Kenshin, what's for lunch?  You're not letting busu cook again, are you?"  He stopped short and looked at the serene woman sitting on the floor, then at the saturnine man leaning against the wall.  "Oi, what's he doing here?"

            "Saitou and his wife had their house burned down, Yahiko-kun."

            "His w-wife?"  Yahiko facefaulted while pointing at Tokio.  "That nice-looking lady?"

            "Hai, this is Tokio-san."  Megumi smacked a stuttering Yahiko and threw the dirty cloth at him.

            "Go get me a clean towel and some warm water, little boy."

            Yahiko threw the cloth back at her and ran out to find the aforementioned supplies.  Kenshin drew Saitou away to sit with him and talk in detail about what had happened the night before.

            Megumi stood up to find disinfectant for the cuts along the side of her face where she had fallen upon the wood floor.  Tokio took the opportunity to look around at the comfortable room.  It seemed as if the dojo entertained more visitors than it trained young pupils, but the Himuras weren't lacking in furniture or food, from what she could smell from the kitchen.  Her stomach rumbled and she blushed, putting a hand over her midsection.  

            "Tokio-san, are you hungry?  Ken-san probably has lunch cooking, it shouldn't be much longer if his talk with Saitou is brief."  Tokio nodded and smiled slightly.  Knowing her husband's conversational skills, lunch would be ready very soon.

            Megumi applied the stinging disinfectant to the small cuts before asking Tokio if she had pain anywhere else on her body.  

            "Yes, my ribs are sore, but I think I just bruised my side when I was thrown to the floor," she replied.  Megumi pushed aside her outer kimono to poke and prod at the injured area.  Tokio winced and bit her lip to keep from crying out when she touched several places on her left side.  The doctor sat back on her heels and shook her head.

            "One of your ribs is cracked, I imagine you must have either fallen on something other than the floor or have been hit with something before you fell.  Did you pass out for any period of time?"

            Tokio thought back to the previous night.  "I don't, I don't quite remember," she said pensively, "Saitou came in almost directly after the explosion occurred.  I don't think it was enough time to have been unconscious."

            "Blackouts can occur for anywhere between one second and one week," the fox doctor informed her, instructing the returning Yahiko to fetch her clean bandages.  Yahiko grumbled and turned around, heading back the way he came.  

            Megumi used the bandages to wrap her midsection tightly, "just to keep the fractured rib in place," she explained.  Tokio nodded and thanked her profusely, but she waved it off with her hand and double-checked the wrapping.  

            "It's nothing Tokio-san, you complain far less than the Roosterhead.  I wish all my patients were as cooperative as you."  Megumi paused, as if unsure how to ask this next question.  "What is it like, living with Saitou?"

            Tokio smiled.  "Very much like speaking with him and seeing him here, except he is a great deal more relaxed."

            Megumi's fox ears popped up.  "O hohoho, I can't imagine Saitou-san being relaxed, just as I can't imagine Ken-san carrying a tanto and smoking cigarettes."  Tokio raised a hand to cover her smile, and bowed once more before standing rather stiffly to her feet because of the tight bandages.

            Saitou was sitting at the low table, smoking and watching calmly as Yahiko gnawed on Sanosuke's head, both of them yelling insults at each other.  From the lines on his face and the position of his body, she could tell he was tired but sadistically amused at the display.  Kenshin was in the kitchen, preparing the rest of lunch.

            "Oh, Tokio-san, daijobu?  I'm Kaoru, I didn't get to meet you before."

            Tokio bowed her head, unable to go any deeper, but she smiled kindly at the young wife who had appeared next to her.  "Daijobu, Himura-san.  Thank you for letting us stay in your home, I know it was rather unexpected."

            Kaoru smiled in return.  "Please, just Kaoru.  We've had our share of unexpected visitors, and it's good to have finally met you."

            "Hey busu, lunch is ready!"

            "Show some manners in front of our guest, Yahiko-CHAN!"  Yahiko made a face and stuck out his tongue at her, prompting the previously composed young girl to chase him around the house with her bokken outstretched.  Kenshin set the food on the table without comment as if this was quite a usual occurrence.

            "You've got your work cut out for you, Himura," Saitou remarked, nodding his head towards a now-panting Kaoru.  Kenshin blushed and Tokio frowned disapprovingly at her husband.  He smirked and put out his cigarette.

            "The food is very good, Himura-san," Tokio said quietly.  

            "Arigatou gozaimes.  Eiji is asleep on a futon in the guest room, and now that Saitou has explained your situation to me, I think we should discuss where to go from here."

            "I've already told you, Himura, we just need a place to stay until we can find another house in the city.  There's nothing more that needs to be discussed, unless you have new information about the Ichihashinsei."

            Kenshin placed his teacup onto the table, keeping both hands loosely curled around the sides.  "Nothing save that they move fast, de gozaru yo.  If it was truly them who burned your house, and if Tokio was their main target, then I'd say it's best to keep her here while you look for another home."

            Saitou, for all that it killed him, had to agree with Kenshin.  "We don't know if it was Tokio for sure, but the note clearly said 'loved ones.'"  His mouth turned down at the last two words, as if he was quite unused to saying such a phrase.  Tokio sensed her husband's discomfort and figured that the discussion would be less awkward for him if she were not present.  She placed her chopsticks across her rice bowl, got to her feet, and bowed with her hands pressed to her sides.

            "Domo arigatou, Himura-san, for the wonderful lunch.  Unfortunately, I am feeling very tired from the recent experience.  If you could just point me to the guest room…?"  Kaoru rose to her feet and smiled, leading the shorter woman down the hallway.  Kenshin watched their retreating figures before turning back to Saitou.

            "Tokio is a remarkable woman, de gozaru yo."

            "Hnn," was all the police chief would say on the matter.  Kenshin smiled knowingly and returned to the topic at hand.

            "So we'll keep her here, and make sure no one knows of her or Eiji's whereabouts.  Today, after you've rested, you can begin looking for an available house nearby.  Shinomori Aoshi arrives tomorrow, so today will be a day of rest and repair rather than a day to make plans and battle the Yakuza."

            Saitou smirked and lit another cigarette.  "Never thought we'd actually be fighting such a beginner's gang.  Yakuza are meant to be rooted out and squashed, not studied and strategically attacked."

            "Hai, but these are not ordinary Yakuza, de gozaru yo.  Their motives are different, and they don't live to gamble and steal.  They seem to have an actual reason for causing trouble in Tokyo, though what it is, we have yet to find out."  Saitou had nothing at all to say to this statement, and it hung in the air along with the smoke from his cigarette, cloying around the senses like an ugly taste of what was yet to come.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*

"Well OBVIOUSLY they're gone, you moron, where else would they go?"

"Don't get angry at me just because YOU failed to complete YOUR mission!"

"Deng will have all our heads for this, you insolent brat; who's mission it was doesn't matter to him."

"Don't pull that seniority shit on me.  What do we do now, fearless leader?  Itai!"

"Oh suck it up, I didn't hit you that hard.  Send out two more spies to follow their tracks.  I want to know where they're staying and who they've talked to."

"What about me?"

"You report back and tell them the woman is still alive."

"Why do I have to?  I'll just get punished for your mistake!"

"Look at my face.  No, I'm not playing, just look at it.  Now, does it look like I care?  In ten seconds, this face is going to be very very angry, and instead of smacking you, I'm going to box your ears off and feed them to the dogs!  Get going, runt!"

A small, thin figure burst through the door of a small wooden hut, running as fast as it's bare feet could take it down the quiet road.  Only the silent moon bore witness to the exchange, and everyone knew She would never tell.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hajime?"  Tokio looked up at her husband as he entered the guest room.  He didn't turn around.  

"Hajime…"  Saitou changed out of his police uniform and into a sleeping yukata, setting his sword on the floor.  He kneeled on the futon next to his wife, where she was sitting upright with a book in her hands.

"I found a place we can move into, not far from here.  I can probably get re-stationed to the police station here, as well."

"That's good," she commented quietly, putting aside her book.  As she turned to put it away, a sharp pain lanced through her side and she fell back to the floor, gasping for breath.  Saitou was up in an instant, bending over her and forcing her hands away from her ribs.  He pulled back the top of her yukata and found the bandages wrapped around her midsection.

"Tokio, what is this?" His voice was low, dangerous.  She tried to regulate her breathing and ignore the shooting pain as she shifted into a more comfortable position on her back.  

"N-nothing, Hajime, I just cracked a rib when I fell.  It only hurts when I turn a certain way," she assured him.  It didn't seem to make a difference to Saitou, but he was silent as she pushed herself up again.

For a while, there was no sound in the room except for Eiji's even breathing and the quietly beating hearts of husband and wife.  Neither had anything to say to the other, but it was a comfortable silence, each with their own separate thoughts.

Tokio was thinking about how much of a burden she must seem to Hajime, and wishing that she was safely at home with him far away and out of danger.  Separation was difficult, but it was so dangerous when she was near enough to be a distraction!  Even when he couldn't see her, it was dangerous that his enemies should be able to find her so easily.  Still, she would rather be near him and in danger than safe and apart.

Saitou was pondering other issues, mainly which squads to send out for scout work, and which buffoons he could trust in actual combat with trained Yakuza.  But were they trained?  He would have to see some of them in action, and soon if they were to come up with any actual plan.  His thoughts turned to Shinomori, and then to the shuriken that had been lodged in the wood of his front door, along with the disturbing note.  A connection between onmitsu and Yakuza?  Perhaps they used onmitsu styles of fighting.  Or perhaps they had used onmitsu weapons and adapted them to their own unique styles.  He stored that theory away in his mental files, resolving to investigate it in the morning.  A soft, barely audible sigh brought his attention back to the slender woman sitting in front of him.  Some of the creases in his forehead eased out as he watched her stare off into space, apparently not noticing that she had let herself sigh.  

Tokio looked up to see him watching her.  She couldn't read any of the hidden emotion in his gold eyes, but she knew by the lines of his face that he was uncharacteristically tired and doing his best to pretend he wasn't.  Her hands came up to stroke his forehead and run through his cropped dark hair, letting the telltale bangs fall across the bridge of his sharp nose.  Everything about this man was sharp, from his nature to the planes of his face.

"Tokio…" her name was said more as a whisper than a command to stop.  She continued her quiet petting, smiling as his eyelids dropped to half-mast.  He caught her wrist before she could begin on his neck.

He nipped at her index finger and smirked as she gasped involuntarily.  "See how you like it, small one."  Tokio drew her hand away and laid back on the futon, grasping the edges of his yukata to bring him down with her.  Saitou kissed her forehead and brought his mouth down to her own, resting a moment there before encircling her with his arms and flipping her over in one fluid motion so that she was on her uninjured side.  

Letting a small sigh of contentment escape her, Tokio spooned herself against his broad chest and listened to the steady beating of his heart.  

"We haven't lain together in a long time, Hajime."

She could feel his shoulders shake slightly as he chuckled.  "In both senses of the word."  A blush spread across her cheeks, unseen by Saitou.  

"Tomorrow, I have to talk to those ahous at the station."

"I'll be here."

"I know.  Don't leave the house.  If you need something, Eiji can get it for you.  If he goes out, make sure he wears a disguise."  She nodded against his chest, quickly growing tired.

"And Tokio?" His breath stirred the hair by her ear.

"Hmm?" she asked sleepily.

"This will be over soon."

She smiled drowsily and closed her eyes.  "Hai, Hajime.  Oyasumi nasai."

"Oyasumi."

Outside, the moon shone bright over the peaceful Himura household, keeping her face away from the evil brewing within the quiet city.  She will never tell, but she will watch.  Watch and wait for the inevitable.

To beeee continued…


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki-san and Jump comics.  I am just a whore for fanfiction.

This chapter is dedicated to Brett, because he makes me laugh and he's my number-one fan for all the poetry I write.  He'll probably never read this story, but he's one of the few reasons why I can still get up in the morning.  Yeah, Mitsubishi!

Warnings: Maybe some profanity on Sano's part, canon couples are K/K, S/T, slight hints at S/M and lots of hints at A/M.

A/N: I dunno how old Eiji is, so I'm putting him at about 15 or so, same as Yahiko.  This story is set after the series, but I took creative liberty and made Kaoru pregnant with Kenji instead of him actually being in the story yet.  I haven't seen the end of RK yet, so if I make any mistakes, please don't hesitate to point them out.  I'm totally making up how Aoshi and Saitou and Tokio met, but this is MY fic, ne?  I hope it doesn't screw the storyline terribly, but I honestly don't know where she fits in here.  ^^

Enjoy the fic, minna…^_^

Chapter Three: Reinforcements 

Sanosuke had never been a morning person.  In fact, he had only seen the sunrise about twice in his life.  Both times he had been awake quite involuntarily.  So, it made sense that he would be extremely irritated when he was woken at dawn by loud rapping on the front gate of the dojo.  He turned over on his futon, figuring Kenshin or Kaoru would answer it.  When the obnoxious noise continued, he sat up and flung his pillow at the wall, muttering a stream of curses that would make an innocent bystander blush profusely.  Most likely Kenshin, if he had heard some of the insults directed at him, as well.

"K'so!  Alright, I'm up, I'm up!  Kami-sama, who the hell is that?"  Sano staggered to the hallway and out into the still-dark courtyard.  A police officer in blue was waiting, his hand poised to knock once more.  Sano scowled and rubbed his wayward brown hair, mentally running through his list of recent crimes.  He couldn't remember anything that would warrant police involvement, so he assumed the message wasn't for him.

"Is this the Himura residence?"

With one eye opened and one closed, Sano grunted affirmative.  The young officer looked uneasy as he handed a sealed envelope to the drowsy ex-gangster.  

"I was directed by my superiors to deliver this to Chief Fujita Goro if he's on the premises.  Could you see that it gets to him?"  Sano looked down at the unmarked envelope, holding it up to the dim sunlight and squinting.  The officer cleared his throat nervously.

"Eh?  Oh, yeah, sure, I'll get it to him."

"The letter is of utmost importance-

"Hai, hai, go on and get out of here.  I'll get it to him."  The officer bowed stiffly and mounted his horse.  Sano snorted and watched him gallop down the street.

"Kusoyaro, waking me up just for that nuthead.  Like hell am I going into that asshole's room at this hour, he'll just have to read it when he gets up himself."  The brown-haired youth tucked the envelope inside his shirt and yawned, reentering the dojo and hitting his futon with a satisfying smack.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Tokio-san?  What are you doing up so early?"  The petite black-haired woman turned around and smiled at Kenshin.  Her hair was twisted up into a knot behind her head, and she was already fully dressed in a dark blue cloth kimono.  

"Gomen ne, Himura-san, did I wake you?"

"Iie, I usually rise at this time."  The rurouni returned her smile and finished tying his hakama.  Tokio turned back around to her task, chopping green onions, while Kenshin began making a pot of tea.  The two worked in companionable silence for twenty minutes, and soon the dojo was filled with the smell of miso soup and rice cooking.  Tokio took her bowl to the table and sat down across from Kenshin, who handed her a cup of tea.  She gave him his own bowl and ladled miso into it, which he accepted with a nod of thanks.  They were silent for a few minutes until Kenshin spoke.

"So you've agreed to staying here until the trouble is past?"  

Tokio nodded, sipping from her steaming cup.  "Hajime says it is for the best, but I would hate to bring danger to you and your family."

Kenshin muttered a soft 'oro?' in surprise.  Tokio merely smiled and set down her tea.  

"Himura-san, when I was younger, I spent much time around older women, including my sisters.  Kaoru is not yet showing very noticeably, but a trained eye can see that she is with child."

Kenshin ducked his head sheepishly and a faint blush spread across his cheeks.  "You are very perceptive, de gozaru yo."

"Congratulations, Himura-san.  I know your child will have Kaoru's beauty and your strength."

"Arigatou gozaimes, this is very kind of you to say so.  Forgive my prying, but you and Saitou decided not to have children?"

Tokio's eyes took on a faraway look, and Kenshin was about to apologize for such a blunt question when she shook her head once, firmly.

"I was once expecting, about eight years ago, earlier in our marriage.  When I was about three months pregnant, Hajime was away in Kyoto.  A brother of a former Ishin Shishi member broke into the house, and would have killed me if a neighbor hadn't been passing by at the time.  The man fled, but he had struck me," Tokio gestured towards her abdomen, "and I suffered heavy bleeding.  When Hajime returned, I had to tell him that we had lost the child.  Since then, we decided it was safer not to try again."  She smiled, pushing the hints of sadness back, "Besides, we have Eiji to look after, and he is quite a handful at times.  Very much like your young student, Yahiko-kun."

Kenshin was quiet and asked no more questions.  He could see the memory of loss was difficult for Tokio, but she neither wept nor faltered in her narrative.  Inwardly, the rurouni marveled at how such a kind, polite woman could be married to Saitou.  Now he realized that there was a great deal more to Tokio than what met the eye.  She had a quiet strength that balanced her husband's arrogant temper, and it was small wonder that the two got along so well.  

A voice broke into his thoughts from the bedroom.  "Kenshin?"  Kaoru made her way to the kitchen, her husband standing up to help her sit.  Tokio murmured a quiet greeting, spooning out soup for the young mother-to-be.

"Ohayo, Tokio-san.  You two are up early this morning."

"I couldn't sleep very much," Tokio confessed.

Kaoru nodded sympathetically.  "Probably because you slept in a strange place last night.  You'll get used to the new surroundings," she promised with a bright smile.  

"Thank you for letting us stay in your home, I know you're rather crowded as it is…"

Kenshin shook his head.  "We have plenty of room.  Aoshi is coming today, and we have room enough for him, as well."

Tokio stood up to clear away her bowl.  "That's right, I had forgotten.  He is onmitsu?"

"Hai.  Very quiet, but very skilled."  

Tokio handed Kaoru a bowl of rice, sitting back down absentmindedly.  "His name is familiar, but I can't remember where…"

"Oi, Jou-chan!"

"Nanda, tori-atama?  Don't go shouting so early in the morning!" Kaoru called, a vein popping out on her forehead.  Sano flopped his lanky body down next to Kenshin, stealing some rice from his bowl.

"Got a letter for Okami-san, is he awake?"

"Gomen ne, he's still asleep," Tokio said, moving her half-empty bowl across to Sano.  The ex-gangster, with total disregard for manners, began scooping up rice with two fingers while searching in his open shirt with the other hand.

"Here it is!" He waved the envelope, accidentally whacking a sleepy Yahiko.

"BAKA!  Why don't you watch what you're doing??"

"Stop yelling, Yahiko-CHAN!"

"Urusai, BUSU!"

"What did you call me?"

"Busu! Busu!"

"Oro?"

Kenshin dropped his head in his hands as Kaoru sprang to her feet and began chasing Yahiko with her bokken.  When Sanosuke laughed at the display, suddenly he was the one being attacked.  Kaoru whacked him while Yahiko chewed on his head, and soon all three of them were running around the dojo.  

"Call me busu again, and I'll make you do five hundred swings before breakfast!"

"Yah, you hafta catch me first, BUSU!"

"A free meal isn't worth this violence!"

"You miser, we shouldn't even be giving you a free meal!  Be grateful!"  WHACK!

"Itai!!"

Tokio turned to Kenshin.  "Himura-san, Kaoru really shouldn't be chasing them in her condition…"

"Oroooo…"

SMACK!  All three fell back in a heap, landing on top of one another.  Yahiko rubbed his head, blinking at the solid figure he had run into.  

"Oh good, you're here, Aoshi," Kenshin said from the table.  Shinomori Aoshi, former Okashira of the Kyoto Oniwabanshuu looked from the short, red-headed man and the attractive woman sitting at the table to the pile of bodies at his feet below.  He nodded once to Kenshin before stepping over Sanosuke and joining the rurouni and the mystery lady.  He took a seat next to the woman, ignoring the sense of deja-vu that tingled in the back of his brain.  She stood up and placed two bowls in front of him, one filled with miso soup and the other with rice.  Aoshi followed her with his eyes as she sat back down.  Something about this woman was very familiar…

"Tokio-san, this is Shinomori Aoshi of the Kyoto Oniwabanshuu."  Tokio bowed stiffly from the pressure on her ribs and smiled.  Aoshi nodded.  Tokio…_Saitou _Tokio?  

He had met Saitou Hajime's wife several months after returning to Kyoto, after returning to Misao and the other Oniwabanshuu.  She had been called to Kyoto when her husband was assumed to be dying in a local hospital, close to the Aoiya.  Aoshi had been walking back from the temple when she had passed by, her kimono soaked with blood and an equally dirty boy walking next to her.  Thinking she had been assaulted, he stopped and brought her to the Aoiya, where she explained who she was and her business in Kyoto.  Misao had recognized the boy, Eiji, and everyone present knew Saitou Hajime.  When the former Mibu no Okami had fully recovered, he had picked up his wife at the Aoiya and that was the last he had heard of either of them, until this mess with the Ichihashinsei.

"I remember you now," Tokio said quietly.  "The helpful onmitsu from the temple."  Aoshi nodded for the third time, having resurfaced the memory.  Kenshin looked from one to the other, cocking his head to the side in confusion.  It was at this point in time that Saitou decided to enter the room.  His gaze swept, like Aoshi's, from the groaning Yahiko, to the dazed Sanosuke sitting next to a flushed Kaoru.  Kenshin was looking puzzled as he sat in between the tall Shinomori and his wife, who was sipping her tea.

"Ohayo, Saitou," Kenshin greeted the police chief.  Saitou nodded towards Aoshi.

"So the gang's all here?"

"Aa.  You know Shinomori Aoshi, ne, Saitou?"

"Right, the weasel girl's friend."  A muscle clenched in Aoshi's jaw, visible to no one but Saitou.  To break the sudden tension, Tokio set down her teacup and addressed Aoshi.

"How is Misao, Shinomori-san?"

"She broke her ankle last week, but she's healing now."

"Good, one less annoying itachi to have underfoot."

"Hajime…" Tokio frowned at her husband.  He rolled his eyes in reply.

Coughing and standing before the situation could get any more tense, Kenshin brushed his hands on his hakama and said, "It's unfortunate that Misao could not join us, but we're grateful for your help, Aoshi.  Saitou's as well.  The police would like to have a word with all three of us, including Sano, after breakfast, so perhaps we should be moving on."  Kenshin took the empty dishes and put them in the sink as Tokio set new ones in front of her husband.  Sanosuke polished off the last of Tokio's rice and stood up to speak with Kenshin in the kitchen.  Kaoru grabbed Yahiko by the ear and dragged him into the training hall, where they could hear the youth begin counting bokken swings.  Saitou, Aoshi, and Tokio were left at the table.  Aoshi was impassive, drinking his tea with both hands loosely curled around the sides of the cup.  Saitou took out a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth, searching for his matches.  Silently, Tokio slipped the cigarette out and put it back in Saitou's pocket.  

"Tokio…" he said warningly.  She just smiled complacently and refilled his bowl.  Aoshi said nothing, but there was amusement in his eyes.  The three finished their breakfast in silence.

~*~*~*~*~*

 Half an hour later, Kenshin had finished with the dishes and the laundry and was standing outside of the dojo.  Aoshi stood beside him, kodachis tucked into his trenchcoat.  

"Saitou wa doko?"  Aoshi shook his head as if to say 'I don't know.'  Kenshin was about to go back inside when Saitou appeared, shadowed by a grumbling Sanosuke.  

"You were asleep!  I wasn't about to wake you up for some letter…"

Saitou turned to face Sano, holding the aforementioned letter in his fist.  "For police business like this, you wake me up!  Ahou!"

"Maa maa, what's wrong?" Kenshin asked.  Saitou thrust the letter into the shorter man's face, still glaring at Sano.

"Read this."

"Last evening, witnesses reported seeing five masked men break into the Yamasaki home in central Tokyo.  The police arrived fifteen minutes after a witness' message to find Yamasaki Isamu, his wife Mai, his three sons, one daughter, and two relatives murdered.  Each victim except for Isamu had the Kanji character for "mistake" painted on their left palm with black ink.  Yamasaki Isamu was beheaded, his head found on a post outside the house." Kenshin's eyes were narrowed as he handed the letter back to Saitou.  "This is getting serious."

Saitou snorted and flicked ash from his cigarette.  "Too serious for the police to handle, apparently, which makes me wonder…"

Kenshin nodded and waved to Kaoru before setting off with Sano and Aoshi towards the Yamasaki residence.  Saitou was headed in a different direction, but he didn't make any move to begin walking yet.  He read the letter once more, leaning his back against the gate.  Obviously he needed to do a little investigating himself…

Saitou turned his head, sensing a familiar presence.  Tokio stood close to him, coffee eyes watching the departing backs of the three men.  He exhaled a bit of smoke and looked down at her.

"I told you to stay inside, Tokio."

"Tokyo smells like death, Hajime.  Be careful today," was all she said, her eyes still focused to the east.  Saitou looked at the dojo, and, not seeing anyone else watching, drew her small frame to his hard-muscled body against the fence.

"You worry too much," he murmured, crushing his cigarette against the wood and tossing it away.  Tokio looked up, finally, and traced his razor sharp cheekbones.  Saitou captured her lips in a hard, fast kiss that left her panting as he pulled back and left her propped against the gate.  He was already walking away from her, calling back over his shoulder,

"Stay inside, Tokio!"  It took a minute to regain her composure, and then she stood watching him for a while until her brain registered his command.  With a slight smile and a hand to her side, she walked back into the dojo.

A/N:  Gomen ne, I know this chapter is very short, but finals are coming up, and Trikster-chan is on the verge of failing two very stupid and unnecessary classes…Honestly, who needs bio and geometry?  Pas moi!  On top of the studying and extra homework, I had something akin to a nervous breakdown on Monday, so please be patient with me!  

Much love to Koji, who's hanging on for me cuz her best g-town tomodachi is hanging on for her…

And lots of prayers for Anna, who's stronger than I could ever hope to be.  Votre beau-père est un abruti, mais Cale vous aime et ainsi faites moi et Kyle! Vous pouvez égrapper Stealth plus tard, juste le maintenez parti de mon frère.


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